Resolving Wi-Fi Issues in macOS High Sierra

Resolving Wi-Fi Issues in macOS High Sierra

Some MacOS High Sierra users have reported issues with wireless networking after updating their Mac to the latest system software version. The problems may range from difficulties connecting to wi-fi networks, dropping wi-fi connections (particularly after waking from sleep), sluggish wireless speeds, and other frustrating connectivity problems with wi-fi networks.

This article will attempt to detail some common problems, and explain some troubleshooting steps to resolve wi-fi issues with macOS High Sierra. Before doing anything else, if the Mac is currently on High Sierra then you should update to the latest version of macOS High Sierra that is available.

Apple regularly releases software updates to system software, and macOS High Sierra is no different. If you are still running macOS High Sierra 10.13, then you need to update to the latest point release version available (10.13.1, 10.13.2, etc).

This is easy, but you should always backup a Mac before installing any system software update. Point release updates often include bug fixes, and if youre experiencing a problem that is related to a core system software bug then its possible the system software update will resolve that, possibly along with The bottom line: check for available system software updates and install them if any are available.

Some Mac users with MacOS High Sierra have reported difficulty connecting to wi-fi access points that have a hidden SSID. You can try disconnecting and then , but the connection may drop again or fail upon waking from sleep.

One possible workaround is to make the SSID visible, this must be done on the wi-fi router itself and will vary per wireless access point, but if you have access to the wi-fi router it may be a solution. This works for many users, but obviously if you must have a hidden SSID for some reason then making the SSID visible is not always a viable option. Some users report that macOS High Sierra drops their wi-fi connection when waking from sleep or when waking from a screen saver, or that macOS High Sierra is slow to re-join wi-fi after waking from sleep.

You may be able to resolve wi-fi dropping after a Mac wakes from sleep by following the steps outlined below to create a new wireless configuration. One reported workaround to wi-fi not re-joining after waking from sleep is the following: Sometimes simply toggling the wireless capability off and on again is sufficient to resolve an inability to rejoin a wi-fi network. Some users are also reportedly turning off wi-fi before they sleep their Mac, and then enabling it again once their Mac is awake. Another possible workaround is to , or an app like Caffeine or KeepingYouAwake, or sleep corner, to while those functions are activated.

This is obviously not much of a solution if you must sleep a Mac. Of course, workarounds are inconvenient and they are not true solutions. If youre experiencing wifi connection problems then try the steps below to potentially resolve them. Back up your Mac before continuing, these steps involve removing system level configuration files.

Do not proceed without a backup made so that you can roll back if something goes wrong.

Essentially what this is doing is ditching your old wireless preferences and causing MacOS High Sierra to replace them by generating new wi-fi preferences. For many users, this is sufficient to solve any problems with wifi networking. If youre still having wi-fi problems after ditching the preferences and rebooting the Mac, you can try the steps below to create a new network location with custom configuration settings.

 This sequence of trashing wi-fi preferences, generating new wireless preferences, and then, if need be, are a longstanding set of steps for resolving various wireless problems in many versions of Mac OS, including , , and before. If youve done all of the above and youre still having issues with wireless networking, you can try some general troubleshooting tips too; Did you have any problems with wi-fi in macOS High Sierra? working fine for you in macOS High Sierra?